Photo By Master Sgt. Duff E. McFadden | And so it begins - the 48 teams making up the 2017 Best Sapper competition currently...... read more read more
Two Iowa Army National Guard combat engineers continue to “persevere” during the 2017 Best Sapper competition, currently being held at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. Of the initial 48 teams, the Iowans are among the 22 teams remaining as day two dawns, during this three-day competition.
1st Lt. Thomas Bentley, the executive officer for the 832nd Engineer Company, 224th Brigade Engineer Battalion (BEB) and Sgt. 1st Class James Roller, of Fort Madison, Iowa, a platoon sergeant with Company A, 224th BEB, remain in contention for the Best Sapper title.
“They’re tired and a little cranky, but they’re continuing to persevere,” said their coach, Staff Sgt. Jacob Baum, a training noncommissioned officer for Company A, 224th BEB.
Bentley and Staff Sgt. Steven Russell, a supply sergeant with Company B, 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry, took part in the 2016 contest, finishing 37th, after Bentley suffered an ankle injury during the 10th annual Fort Leonard Wood event.
This year, nearly a dozen teams fell victim to the “Night Stakes,” while another nine teams were eliminated following yesterday afternoon’s ruck march and land navigation phases.
Billed as “50 teams, 50 hours, 50 miles,” the competition challenges combat engineers in a variety of tasks. Competition began Monday night with a written test, followed by physically challenging endurance and technical events early Tuesday morning.
| Date Taken: | 04.28.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 04.28.2017 10:04 |
| Story ID: | 231905 |
| Location: | JOHNSTON, IOWA, US |
| Web Views: | 57 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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